BA Season 1: 10 and 11 'The Stray'
by The Barracuda
Summary: A mysterious girl is running for her life, and runs into a young man whose life is about to be changed drastically from this point on.
1. Default Chapter Title

  
  
10 - "The Stray, Part 1"  
Originally Written: February 29th 2000  
  
May 14th, 2000  
"Uh uh, no way. Chapter four should conception, then chapter five is the nine months  
spent in the womb."  
  
"Then what the hell are chapters one, two and three about?"  
  
"Chapter one can skim through a brief history of the gargoyle race, chapter two is a  
summary of Goliath and Elisa's relationship and chapter three is...well...you know."  
  
"What?"  
  
"...Just before conception."  
  
"Ah I see. A little wine, a little dance, then nine months later, a little half gargoyle child.   
Interesting." Dr. Alan Pierce rubbed his chin as he pondered his associate's words.  
  
"Do you think they'll let us videotape them?," Dr. Trishia Weathers continued, "it would  
be great reference material..."  
  
"No. I've already touched on that subject with Goliath, and I almost got my head shoved  
up my ass. We'll have to struggle through chapter three assuming he mates like a regular  
human."  
  
"Oh well, I guess after the child is born, we'll go from there. Perhaps we'll fill in some  
chapters as we go along, but for now..."  
  
"'Interspecies mating: An in-depth look at human and gargoyle conception by doctors  
Alan Pierce and Trishia Weathers' is still a work in progress. If we need to add chapters,  
we'll do it in due time."  
  
"Whoa there. Why is your name first?"  
  
"Xanatos called me first. You're only here because I needed an...ahem, assistant."  
  
Dr. Weathers drew back slowly, as a silent breath slipped in through her clenched teeth.   
"Oh, that is going to cost you. You're no longer in my dedication."  
  
The bickering continued between the two doctors, as their shrill voices echoed off the  
spartan walls of the examination room. Within the top floor of the Eyrie building, set  
apart from the lush paintings and potted plants lining the hallways, a wash of ivory  
covered the painted walls and the clean, sparkling tile of this sterile environment. A  
veritable contained hospital, prepared for any eventuality, even that of a child born of a  
human and a gargoyle.  
  
Dr. Alan Pierce, a seasoned doctor and surgeon from Manhattan General, the first called  
upon to witness a medical miracle. Barely forty years of age, his long slightly gray hair,  
fell over a trusting facade, as he wrapped himself in a white labcoat, stained with several  
spills of various chemicals. Almost to the point of ecstasy, he instantly accepted  
Xanatos' offer. For the chance to behold the first half human, half gargoyle child would  
be for those in the medical and science fields, the beginning of a completely new area of  
study. Within hours, he was called to the Eyrie and upon nightfall, bore witness to  
fourteen statues exploding to the call of night. He was introduced to Goliath and Elisa,  
and he confirmed her pregnancy. Immediately, plans for a book crossed his mind, fame,  
fortune and notoriety for a doctor lost in the crowd of skilled professionals.  
  
But research and lab work can be time consuming for one doctor with already over one  
million patients floating through the doors of his hospital. He called on Dr. Trishia  
Weathers; tall, brunette, leggy, and one of the most respected specialists on her field. For  
three months now, the two doctors have studied the gargoyle race and their distinctions  
and similarities to humankind. But still mystified, was how two different species were  
able to produce a child.  
  
"Okay, okay. My name's first on the cover, but your dedication is first in the book." Dr.  
Pierce consented.  
  
"All right, fine. Now, where were we?"  
  
"I believe," an angered voice answered from behind them, "you were going to allow me  
to view my child." The two doctors turned to gaze upon a massive lavender shape  
standing above them. "This book you are planning cannot be released anyway, or you  
will jeopardize our safety. Now, if you two are finished your quarrel, may we get on with  
this?"  
  
"Oh Goliath, yes, yes." Dr. Pierce jumped from his seat and a massive computer on a  
rolling table. He moved it towards a large examination bed, where a slender ebon haired  
woman lay reclined on the plush cushioning.  
  
Elisa had been waiting patiently for her regular check-up, with a promise on this night to  
be able to finally see her unborn child. Three months along, with a slightly protruding  
stomach, and an impatient demeanor. She now watched with great anticipation as Dr.  
Pierce moved the scanning tool towards her and Dr. Weathers readied the sonogram  
monitor. He slowly revealed Elisa's stomach by pulling her shirt away and spread a  
viscous gel over the skin. Suddenly, her hand tightened, but not by her consent. She  
looked to where delicate lavender fingers squeezed her palm with all their might.  
  
Angela sat beside her, almost even more excited than her step-mother. Goliath still  
remained standing above them, skeptical of this machine now powering up. Dr. Pierce  
guided a small metal tool over her stomach and Elisa gasped as the cold steel touched to  
her tender skin. All eyes directed to the monitor, though an unsteady gray haze projected  
nothing yet perceivable to the expectant onlookers.  
  
Goliath huffed, convinced once more this machine was not performing to it's owners  
expectations. "This is futile. I still do not believe how...waves of sound can allow me to  
see my...unborn...child..." From the corner of his gaze, a flicker of movement caught his  
eye. A clear picture appeared on the screen, a picture of Elisa's womb, and a small  
distinct shape in the folds of the uterus.  
  
"Oh...wow..." Angela whispered as she leaned in closer. "Father, it's..."  
  
"My child." Goliath fell to his knees, eyes fixated on the screen, wherein a mist of  
colorless tones, a small fuzzy figure took form before his teared gaze. A tiny fetus, with  
almost an exact resemblance to a human.  
  
"Well, the baby seems to be doing just fine, Elisa." Dr. Adam Pierce reassured the  
expecting mother. "The sonogram shows no problems with the fetus, even with it's  
remarkable heritage. It seems to be growing at a normal human rate." Yet his words fell  
on deaf ears, as the Maza family remained glued to the screen.  
  
Goliath cocked his head, as he strained to focus in on his child. "What...are those?" he  
asked, as a taloned finger dragged across the screen.  
  
"What?" Both doctors leaned in to get a better view. "Well, what do you know. Heh  
heh heh, oh my." Dr. Pierce muffled his laughter.  
  
"What? What are they?"  
  
"Wings, Goliath. Wings."  
  
"Wings??" Elisa perked up.  
  
"And what looks like a tail. Aaaannnnnd..." Dr. Pierce motioned for Dr. Weathers to  
move the tool slightly on Elisa's stomach, "beginnings of ridges on it's head and elbows.   
It seems to be taking after it's father somewhat."  
  
"Oh...wow." Elisa whispered, before releasing a breath through a small smile. "Our baby  
has wings..."  
  
"Would you two like to know the sex?"  
  
"No!!" "Yes!!" Goliath and Elisa answered in unison, before looking at one another.   
"Yes!!" "No!!"  
  
"Okay, I need a definite answer here, people."  
  
"...No. We would much rather be surprised at the moment of birth." Goliath sighed as he  
relented to leaving the mystery for another six months.  
  
"The only complication I might foresee is at the actual birth. If those bone spurs on it's  
head and elbows get any sharper, it may snag on the uterus as it's being born." Dr.  
Pierce's brow came down a bit, unnerving the parents, especially Goliath, who had  
become even more protective of his wife, ever since her surprising revelation three  
months ago. "But if there's any problem, we can do a cesarean section."  
  
"A what?! Doctor Pierce, what is a...cesarean section?" Goliath asked the doctor  
standing before him, a touch of worry intermixed with his deep voice.  
  
"It's a completely safe procedure where we take the baby out through an incision made in  
Elisa's stomach. It's perfectly normal and has been performed thousands of times." the  
doctor calmed the large gargoyle. Goliath's knowledge of human pregnancy and birth  
had become extensive, breezing through the library's section on human physiology  
immediately after coming home from his patrols. But he hadn't come upon this  
particular term just yet.  
  
"I suggest you go read up on c-sections, Goliath," Dr. Weathers interrupted, "it will  
probably calm your nerves a bit."  
  
Goliath sighed and felt Elisa's hand grip his arm. He looked down to his wife and the  
warm smile thrown his way.  
  
"Don't worry, Big Guy. The doctor said I'll be fine."  
  
"Yes, I said she'll be fine. Well, I'm all done here, you're free to go. I'll see you in a  
couple weeks. And by the way, after you enter your sixth month, I want to see you every  
week until the birth." He watched as Elisa hopped from the table and tried to protest, but  
the doctor held up his hand. "Every week. I want to take every single precaution. If I  
have to, I'll have Goliath and Angela drag you down here, kicking and screaming."  
  
The large gargoyle smiled as he brought his arms around his still slender wife, and  
Angela giggled at her step-mother's seeming misfortune.  
  
"Fine. You're worse than Goliath." Elisa chuffed as she admitted defeat. Once a woman  
who had all the freedom she could ever ask for, she now felt she had become trapped as  
Goliath would rarely leave her side, even following her on her shifts. She would be  
extremely annoyed if she didn't know how much Goliath loved her, and how much he  
wanted to keep her and their child safe.  
  
They left the office, and started towards the elevator at the end of the hall. This  
particular floor of the Eyrie had been sectioned off from the employees in the recent  
years, allowing the gargoyles free access. Elisa was the first to reach the shimmering  
steel elevator doors, and pressed her hand to a recessed panel beside them. A thin white  
shaft of light traveled the length of her flattened palm and shortly signaled the owner of  
the handprint with a small beep, as the doors slid open and allowed the entourage access  
to their ancient home.  
  
Taking leave of their daughter, Goliath and Elisa followed the stone enclosure of the  
great hallway, soon reaching the doors of their room. Upon entering, Elisa threw herself  
onto the bed as Goliath sat beside her. "He's getting bad as everyone else around here."  
she muttered. "You, the clan, my parents and family, Bluestone, Chavez, Jasper...god,  
even Xanatos sometimes checks up on me."  
  
"You know we're only trying to keep you safe from harm, Elisa." Goliath answered her  
as he brought a hand to her stomach. "And our unborn child."  
  
"I know. But...just don't treat me like a baby as well. I'm only three months along and  
captain Chavez has already stated I'll be on desk work after the fifth month."  
  
"Yes, a most wise decision. She is a human with the sense to follow police procedure."  
Goliath winced as he felt two small fingers pinch his lavender skin. "Ouch!!"  
  
"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" she cooed.  
  
"Yes." he returned, as he leaned over to place Elisa in his massive shadow. Carefully,  
gently, he brushed his lips against hers, and she savored every breath.  
  
But suddenly, she stopped and pushed him away. "We shouldn't do this right now..."  
  
"Why not?" he asked out of concern.  
  
"Because I'm going...to throw up..." Elisa raced to the bathroom as Goliath sank into the  
bedspread.  
  
"This 'morning sickness' is becoming a nuisance."  
  
****************************************  
  
Winter had receded wholly from Manhattan's imperial spires as Spring bloomed forth  
with the ebullience of a puppy, eager to wrap the city in it's temperate glow. Miles of  
sparkling sand lining the shores of the island were a popular refuge for those chained to a  
daily grind of the working world. As the sun dropped below the skyline, the nights no  
longer became a presage to hide away inside, cowering from nature's wrath. Between  
walks in Central park or along the crowded street markets, the nights of New York came  
alive under the curtain of the stars.  
  
But on this night, the lasting peace would be shattered with an unnatural sound above the  
rooftops. As if a low flying plane descended into the city core, the discord of jet engines  
roared over a quiet neighborhood of older apartment buildings. Three distinct shapes  
could be seen against the night sky, weaving through an entanglement of transitional  
Gothic and neoteric simplicity, chasing a small indiscriminate shadow.  
  
A lone figure in front, looping and dodging building after building, showing signs of an  
impending weariness. It's three hunters, behind the figure by a second's pace, riding  
small machines that coasted the currents with an aggressive charge, neared their tiring  
prey. But through a maneuver brought forth by an incredible agility, they lost their target  
when it dipped into a narrow alley and the three were forced to fly over. The figure flew  
as fast as wings of a leather weave could heed the wind, eventually spotting a small  
window near the top of one of the buildings, lit up among the dark walls of sienna brick.  
  
****************************************  
  
"I...am...an American bad-ass...nah nah nah nah...I...am...an American bad-ass..."  
Through mumbled lyrics, came a barely recognizable song, as Todd Hawkins ran his  
razor over his cheek. An artist for hire, who created masterpieces with a simple stroke of  
the brush and also helped to brighten certain houses in the simple world of suburbia,  
working out of his spacious studio apartment on the top floor of an older complex. A  
young artisan living the hours of the twilight breed, he was preparing to sleep well into  
the late afternoon the next day, trying to shake the effects of a full night out. The  
apartment was quiet, as most of his neighbors had gone to sleep. He was staring intently  
at the mirror, being careful not to cut himself. The slightest noise could cause him to  
slip...  
  
CRAAAAAAAASH!!!!  
  
The small pane of glass gracing his bath erupted towards him as razor sharp fragments  
filled the room. "Holy shit!!" A split second reaction caused him to turn towards the  
source of the crash as a shadowed figure jumped through, pushing him to the floor near  
his toilet. Both fell to the checkered tile in a rain of shattering glass. "Ah man, what the  
hell?..." Todd shook his head and tried to clear his vision. He sat up and looked towards  
what had disturbed his peaceful night.  
  
Sitting across from him was a young girl, roughly the same age. She was cradling her  
face in her hands, wiping away debris. He looked closer, as on closer inspection, he  
noticed something was wrong. A flushed hue of dark pink cerise exposed where her  
clothes didn't cover and on her shoulders rested two large wings, hanging limply. Todd  
used the wall to balance himself and got to his feet, all the while staring at the intruder.   
A soiled dress consisted of her only garments with long blond hair spilling over her  
shoulders. Beside her legs rested a slender tail in a matching rose color that twitched  
slightly, indicating it was attached to her. Growing from her brow, four narrow spurs  
with the inside spikes raising higher than the others. Pointed ears and elbows, and large  
three-toed high arched feet.  
  
Todd moved closer, his eyes open wide, gazing at the sight before him. But the figure  
noticed his subtle movement and lifted her head. A swirl of an ocean blue met Todd's  
gasp, as her piercing, electric eyes connected with the very essence of his being.   
Beautiful eyes, yet doorways to a soul that held fear beyond imagining. "Who...are you?"  
he asked quietly.  
  
The young woman suddenly lept to her feet and ran into the apartment. "Leave me  
alone!!" A gentle voice marked with a ragged rasp from breathing heavily. He ran after  
her, intent on finding out just who...and what she was. She ripped open the balcony  
doors and hopped onto the railing, and without ever looking back, launched her slender  
frame into the night sky.  
  
Todd could do only nothing but watch helplessly as she melted into the aura of the spring  
winds, fading from the unnatural light leaking through his glass doors. A silent pause  
followed as he tried to digest the image of an ethereal creature that he thought only  
existed in a random penciled drawing by his own hand. But suddenly, breaking through  
his daze, rumbled powerful engines, tearing the air around him. He snapped his gaze  
upwards to three machines skimming the delicate cornice structure adorning his  
apartment roof and heading in the girl's direction. He could only wheeze a weak  
response, "Wow...she was beautiful..."  
  
***************************************  
  
A day had passed, and the moon's pale light had found Todd still within his apartment,  
lost in contemplation, unable to free his thoughts from last night's encounter. His sleep  
had been restless, he had spent the few hours of slumber tossing and turning, and  
eventually gave up hope. Stuck in his head was the young girl, and the complete and  
total terror he saw in her large, gorgeous eyes. He grabbed his coat and headed for the  
door.  
  
Hours passed before his tread slowed on the threadbare pavement of Manhattan's  
winding ways, his gaze directed upwards as he gazed searchingly into the night sky,  
looking for her who haunted his thoughts. Though tired, he pressed on, scanning the  
recesses of his city's buried hollows for any sign, for anything that could lead him to the  
girl. Alleys, rooftops, inside old buildings and warehouses, wherever the fallen could  
find sanctuary. He spoke to person after person if they knew anything about the events  
from last night and received nothing but urban legends of winged creatures roaming the  
skies.  
  
There was no trace of her. She had disappeared into the night from whence she had  
come. He returned home and flopped on the couch, totally spent. He couldn't shake the  
image from his mind, her eyes, her large, deep eyes.  
  
He seated himself in front of his large drafting table and released the flood of memories  
induced in one night through a medium of charcoal and lead. He went through an entire  
pencil and several pieces of charcoal, his wrist wracked with pain, until the entire area  
around him was covered with portraits of the girl. He stopped to rest his hand and  
thought back to some of the comments he heard on the street. About these so-called  
beasts and their domain of the heavens, and how they were seen mostly around the tallest  
skyscraper in town, the Eyrie building, and the veiled secret above the enshrouded mists  
of New York's ashen clouds. 'Could the rumors be true?,' he thought, 'could gargoyles  
live in the castle?' He shook his head and mentally slapped himself. He tried to bring  
himself back to reality and settled on the couch once again. 'Of course, I have no where  
else to look. It couldn't hurt to check out ol' billionaire Xanatos' pad. If I don't find  
her, I might be able to hook up with one of his rich woman friends.' He smiled to himself  
and soon was fast asleep, his face buried in the cushion.  
  
****************************************  
  
A sleek black Jeep Cherokee exploded from the parking garage and onto the crowded  
streets of the morning crawl, as Todd guided his sport-ute towards the Eyrie building  
some blocks away. Traffic was heavy, as he had waken only at mid-day, fighting with  
those who arose at morning light as they made their mad rush for a light repast prepared  
at their favorite restaurant. The posted speed limit became nothing more than painted  
numbers on an indirect sign as he carved through traffic, and soon the glimmer of a  
polished steel alloy wrapped around a sky-reaching spire came into view. He parked to  
the side and entered through the massive glass doors, bounded with a lustrous gold trim.   
Within the massive foyer, a small desk fell into place before his eyes, and the very large  
security guard nestled behind. Two quick taps on the small bell caused the guard to look  
up and see Todd smiling down on him. "Hey there," he said in his most pleasant voice,  
"I want to talk to Mr. Xanatos please."  
  
"You have an appointment?" The guard's husky voice echoed through the large waiting  
area.  
  
"No, but I need to see him and it's urgent. So please give him a call and tell him I need  
his help." Todd kept his smile wide, hoping his charm would guide him through.  
  
"Hold on." The guard picked up his phone and rung the private office of Xanatos as  
Todd looked on. He turned and filled his eyes with the splendor of the main entry foyer.   
A ceiling almost as high as his apartment building with a lavish embellishment of golden  
surfaces and silver facets and massive crystal chandeliers suspended in the still air,  
providing a soft glow even brighter than the sun.  
  
"What's your name, pal?" The guard's voice brought his attention back to the desk.  
  
"Oh, ah, Todd Hawkins."  
  
"And what is your business with Mr. Xanatos?"  
  
"I need him to help me find a gargoyle." Todd stated simply, trying not to sound, or look,  
completely nuts.  
  
The guard repeated his words into the phone and listened for the response. He silently  
clicked the phone down on the hanger and stood up. "Mr. Xanatos is very busy right  
now. Come back tomorrow."  
  
Todd's brow went down as he placed his hands on the desk. "Or in other words, go away  
crazy person." he raised his voice at the guard.  
  
"That's about it." The guard came around the desk, intent on showing the young man  
out.  
  
"Hey come on!" Todd struggled furiously as the guard grabbed his arm and started to  
lead him towards the doors. He fought back but couldn't free himself against two  
mammoth hairy hands, enduring themselves on his arms. His head cocked up to catch a  
small security camera in an indistinct corner, following his every move. "Hey, I know  
you're watching, Xanatos!" he screamed. "Come on man, I need your help. She's out  
there alone and I think she's in trouble. She was being chased by three goons on flying  
skidoos!! I don't know if you know anything about gargoyles but I need your help!!" He  
continued ranting as the camera zoomed closer.  
  
****************************************  
  
Bathed in nothing but the luminescence of his large viewscreen, David Xanatos watched  
calmly as his guard attempted to escort the young man towards the doors. He knew this  
particular watchman, and almost smiled with the trouble this angry young man was  
causing him. To the side, his office doors opened and Elisa came through.  
  
She had obviously been awakened from a deep sleep, her hair tussled slightly on one side  
and eyes squinting through the screen's light. Xanatos caught the annoyance on her  
features in the reflection of his irregular shaped desk, and waited for the usual impatient  
demeanor she always used when addressing him. "What's so damn important you have  
Owen come and wake me up, Xanatos?"  
  
The billionaire said nothing and pointed towards the screen.  
  
Elisa whirled around to the commotion on the screen. "Who is that?"  
  
"I was hoping you would know. He claims to have seen a gargoyle and needs our help to  
find her."  
  
Elisa watched as the young man struggled uselessly against the much larger guard, all the  
while yelling about gargoyles. "Tell your man to let him go."  
  
"All right," said the billionaire as he reached for the intercom, "may I ask why?"  
  
"If he wants to see gargoyles, we'll show him gargoyles."  
  
****************************************  
  
An expectation of nothing but crumbling rock was instantly overturned once the elevator  
doors opened to the castle's main hall. Todd stepped out and was met by a smaller  
woman, concealing a jogging suit beneath a lavender robe. As he neared her, he noticed  
a slight bulge to her midsection. She immediately cinched the belt tighter, as Todd  
straightened up. "Are you Elisa?" he asked carefully as not to upset her even more than  
she already looked.  
  
"Yes. You must be Todd Hawkins. I was the one who allowed you to come up here."  
  
"Yeah, thanks. Another couple of seconds and Kong down there would have thrown me  
into traffic." He dusted off his jacket and remembered his reason for coming. "So, there  
are gargoyles up here...aren't there?"  
  
"In a manner of speaking, follow me." Elisa briskly headed for a hallway and startled  
Todd enough to pause before following behind. They stepped outside on to the  
battlements, crossing the courtyard and reaching the massive stairway leading to just  
below Goliath's turret. Todd climbed the steps as Elisa stopped just in front of Angela,  
and turned to face the young man. "Well, here are your gargoyles."  
  
Todd slowly walked forward and scanned the statue of Broadway. He ran his hands over  
the statue's rough surface, skilled hands tracing a howl frozen upon the sun's ascension.   
As if he was punched in the stomach, a sickening realization swept upon him as what he  
feared the most. By way of tattered tales, he was mislead to this place, what could be an  
effective cessation of his quest to find the girl. "Statues, they're just statues." he sighed,  
and brought his hands to his pockets. "God, I'm an idiot...I guess I'll never find her.   
Damn." He turned away and looked above him, to the winged shadow cast from  
Goliath's stone form. "Sorry for bothering you, Mrs. Maza."  
  
Elisa watched as he quickly receded from the cornices, particularly noticing his pained  
expression as he realized the Wyvern gargoyles were nothing but statues. She truly felt  
sorry for him. 'He sounded serious...yet I can't chance anyone I don't know finding out  
about the clan.' she thought. 'But he sure seemed upset about not finding this mystery  
woman. Maybe...I'll speak with Goliath tonight.' Elisa headed back to her bedroom and  
the warmth of her bed.  
  
***************************************  
  
If any of those crowding the streets could hear as night fell, the awakening cry of the  
gargoyles, perhaps they wouldn't sleep as soundly tonight. A plethora of celestial  
shimmer met the fragments of flying stone skin, as the rightful residents of Wyvern took  
their place among the living. Goliath turned upon his perch to see Elisa standing behind  
him. Quickly but gently, he swept her beneath the folds of his wings, bringing her  
slender body to his chest. "Did you sleep well, Elisa?" he rumbled.  
  
"Well, not really. We had a visitor this afternoon."  
  
"A visitor, who?" Goliath's smile was replaced by a look of disquiet.  
  
"His name was Todd Hawkins. He claimed to have seen a gargoyle the night before last.   
He came here because of those damn rumors floating around. I showed him your statues  
and he was pretty much convinced you were just elaborate pieces of sculpture." Elisa  
answered her husband to calm him.  
  
"Good. We can't let too many people know that gargoyles live here." Goliath noticed  
his wife look away towards the city and placed his finger under her chin. "You seemed  
troubled, my Elisa, what is wrong?"  
  
"He seemed genuinely concerned about this gargoyle. What if he was telling the truth?   
What if there's a gargoyle out there who's in trouble?"  
  
"You wish to help him, don't you?" Goliath met Elisa's gaze.  
  
"Yeah, I do. I want to talk to him further and find out about this mystery girl he's ranting  
about."  
  
"And just how will we find him?" Goliath asked, raising his brow.  
  
Elisa reached into her coat pocket. "I used a phone book to get his address." she  
remarked as she pulled out a piece of paper with the address and hopped into Goliath's  
arms. "Come on, let's fly." The couple flew down towards the rest of the clan, and  
approached Othello and Desdemona.  
  
"Brother, sister, accompany us please. The rest of you, continue with your patrols. We  
hope to be back soon." The four headed towards the battlements before being interrupted  
by Broadway.  
  
"Just where are you guys going?"  
  
"Hopefully," Elisa responded, "to meet a new friend."  
  
****************************************  
  
Calm winds ensured a peaceful flight, and soon the gargoyles approached the apartment  
where Todd lived and landed softly on his balcony. Goliath released Elisa and she  
moved to the door. Peering inside, she caught sight of a true bachelor's province, where  
clothes lay across the furniture and several pizza boxes and Chinese take-out cartons  
were left on his kitchen counter. She especially noticed the massive television, and  
smirked at his choice of priorities. Beyond the drafting table, art supplies and stereo, she  
found him reclining on the couch. She reached up and tapped on the glass.  
  
Todd jumped up. "What the hell?!" He frantically searched around him, looking for the  
source of the noise. Tap, tap, tap... He looked around again. TAP, TAP, TAP... His  
gaze drifted towards the balcony doors and he saw a woman bathed in darkness just  
beyond. It was the woman from the castle, Elisa. He ran over and opened the doors to  
let her in. "Uh, what are you doing out on my balcony?" he asked as he watched the  
woman sit down on his couch and make herself comfortable. "How'd you get up here? I  
live on the tenth floor!"  
  
"Are you telling the truth?" she asked calmly. "Did you really see a gargoyle?"  
  
"YES!! Yes, I did. Hell, I can show you the window she crashed through in my  
bathroom. I had to use one of my paintings to cover it. She had wings, a tail, and..."  
  
Elisa stopped him before he could continue, "Then I'll show you how I arrived on your  
balcony." A slight motion was made with her hand to the doors, and they opened with a  
creak.  
  
A sudden rush of warm air breezed across Todd's neck, as he watched an assemblage of  
shadows emerge from the obscurity of an unlit balcony. He lifted his neck to look at the  
largest figure before him, with the others coming up beside their brother. "Holy shit...but  
they...were just statues!"  
  
"That is how we sleep. My name is Goliath, Todd, and this is my rookery brother  
Othello and his mate Desdemona." Goliath introduced himself and his clanmates, while  
watching the human examine him from head to toe. "We have heard you are looking for  
a gargoyle."  
  
A slight cough seeped through his throat, before trying to answer the question. "Huh?   
Oh...yeah, yeah! S-She's about my age, with blond hair and deep pink skin. Is she part  
of your uh...family?"  
  
"No, we have never seen this gargoyle before. But we will do our best to help you find  
her." Goliath placed forth his assurance before turning to Elisa.  
  
Desdemona scanned the apartment, walking towards the strange table near the television.   
She noticed numerous sketches littered around the drawing table's base. She leaned over  
and picked several up in her caramel hands, leafing through drawing after drawing of  
what could only be the mystery gargoyle. "It seems, my friend, she had a profound effect  
on you." Desdemona turned towards Todd as he blushed slightly and looked away.   
Desdemona laughed under her breath and handed the pictures to Elisa, who took them  
from her hand and looked through them herself.  
  
Trying desperately to change the subject and wanting to know more about these  
creatures, he turned to where Goliath had sat down beside Elisa and brought her closer to  
his massive body, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "So, how many of there are you?"  
  
"There are fourteen of us in my clan who reside at the castle. There are many clans  
around the world, but the entire gargoyle population we know of number barely two  
hundred."  
  
"So your species is on the verge of extinction?"  
  
"That is an accurate term. For thousands of years, humans have hunted my kind and  
destroyed entire clans. Especially during the day."  
  
"When you turn to stone...uh huh, okay." Todd had a hint of sarcasm in his voice, as he  
sounded quite unconvinced.  
  
"It is how our kind sleeps. As soon as the sun rises, we are frozen in stone. It allows our  
bodies to heal completely from almost any injury." Othello explained. "It is one of our  
greatest strengths...and our greatest weakness." He came near his mate, wrapping his  
arm around her shoulder, reliving the massacre of Wyvern a millennia ago, and how they  
both were destroyed in their sleep.  
  
"Wow, so any sculpture on any building could actually be a real, live gargoyle, that  
comes to life at night?"  
  
"Pretty freaky, huh?" Elisa shot a response to him from the couch.  
  
Todd looked to where she was, propped up in Goliath's lap. "I'll say. Uhm, can I ask  
you guys a personal question? What's the deal with you two?"  
  
"What's the deal? The deal is we're married." Elisa answered while grinning the famous  
Maza grin and holding her hand up, showing him her wedding ring.  
  
"Heh heh heh, god damn." Todd couldn't believe what she had said, but of course his  
own life had become a turmoil of unnatural occurrences in the past two days. He just  
shook his head. "In love with a gargoyle..."  
  
"Speaking of which, from all these drawings, you are either an obsessed stalker, or you  
have a crush on this woman." Elisa defended herself very skillfully, turning the attention  
back on the other human in the room.  
  
He turned beet red as he tried to hide himself from four glares. "Hey, you married a  
gargoyle!! Besides," he sighed as he looked to the ground, his face losing the smile and  
his arms falling limply to his sides, "if you had seen her eyes. She was terrified of me,  
scared to death. She looked at me like I was going to kill her. God, those eyes..."  
  
"Don't worry, friend," Desdemona placed her hand on his shoulder, "if she is out there,  
we will find her."  
  
"Thanks, all of you. I just hope...we're not too late."  
  
****************************************  
  
The group headed back to the castle, Todd choosing to drive rather than fly. As soon as  
he stepped outside onto the cornices, he was met by the others in the Wyvern clan. The  
statues once paralyzed by the sun's rays, were alive with passion and vivacity. One by  
one they were introduced and he related his story. His search had been joined, by the  
underdwellers of society's shadows, putting forth their best efforts to find the  
pink-skinned gargoyle during their patrols. Most of the clan left immediately to look for  
her, leaving Todd back at the castle.  
  
He took the time to look around the ancient castle, and soon found himself a student to  
Hudson's ultimate history lesson, similar to the one presented to Maria Chavez months  
ago. Hours passed as Todd followed behind, a buildup of information imbedded into his  
brain. Hudson finished his tale with Elisa's pregnancy, just in time to see the human  
rubbing his temples to come to terms with the flood of information he received. He  
would eventually end up on Goliath's tower, staring upon the city from a height he had  
never experienced, and losing hope with each clan member that came home only to tell  
him there was no trace of her.  
  
Desdemona climbed the stairway to emerge into Todd's field of view. An optimistic  
expression came crashing down with a slight turn of her head. "It's possible those men  
you saw eventually caught up with her." she gently whispered.  
  
"Or she found a hiding spot." Todd tried to convince himself, and looked to the stars. "I  
hope."  
  
Desdemona placed her hand on his shoulder, and directed her gaze skywards as well,  
wondering which star he had chosen to wish upon. "We shall try again tomorrow night."  
  
****************************************  
  
Lavender streams of clouds coursed across a darkening sky, bringing with them a sunset  
breeze laden with the fresh smell of Spring. Among the ether, they flew once more. The  
clan of Wyvern forced the wind to mind to their wishes as they spread among the island's  
farthest reaching borders, searching the streets and skies.  
  
An absolute silence compelled his deepest concern, as Todd stared at his phone, waiting  
endlessly for their call. Even the city seemed restful, it's usual chatter barely a whisper  
above his paced breaths. Yet the phone would not ring as he would hope. An undeniable  
annoyance, especially when working on various art projects, and now, he wanted, needed  
to hear that distinguishing shrill ring. But helpless, he would not be. He grabbed his coat  
and car keys and quickly left his apartment.  
  
He had driven the city roads for hours, looking through black tinted windows for any  
sign. He couldn't stop thinking about her. His need to find her was growing with every  
hour that went by. Without even thinking, he pulled onto a side street, his headlights the  
only source of illumination on the lonely back road. Suddenly, over the hum of the  
engine, he could make out a loud thundering just above him. Before he could even open  
the window, his windshield imploded, a maelstrom of jagged glass erupting towards him,  
as the entire Jeep shook with an incredible force. "Shit, not again!!" He ducked down as  
far as he could go, and brought his arms up to cover his face, sensing the cracked pieces  
cover his body. Whatever had hit the windshield had enough force behind it to destroy a  
sheet of tempered glass, safety tested before it ever left the factory. He slowly looked up,  
and saw a lifeless form on the dented hood. He exited the Jeep and gasped as he  
recognized the fallen form. It was her. The girl.  
  
She had been knocked from the sky, immediately passing out from the impact. Todd  
cupped her face and scanned the body. She was still breathing, but covered from head to  
toe in cuts and lacerations. Her wings were torn, her tail limp and blood oozed from a  
large gash on her forehead. For a minute, he paused, fixed in place, staring at the girl  
bleeding profusely on his vehicle's hood.  
  
But the eerie silence was broken again by the howling of machines, inflaming the wind  
into a frenzy, as Todd turned to see the three men looking for a place to land their  
hovercraft. Instinct took over, forcing the fear from his body. He quickly gathered her  
into his arms, becoming aware quite quickly she was heavier than she looked, and ran  
towards a darkened corner, with a door concealed in the shadows. His footsteps on the  
pavement alerted the goons that he was behind them, and they pulled themselves from  
searching his ruined sport-ute. As he bolted past, they fired in his direction. A moving  
target he became as he kept his head low, a feeble attempt to dodge the bullets shattering  
the building's fragile surface material. Using his weight as momentum to force himself  
through the door, it collapsed at the behest of his right shoulder, and he stumbled over the  
splintered remains, and disappeared from the mercs' rather crude marksmanship.  
  
The full moon's pallid glow blanketed an old skylight, the unwashed glass causing shafts  
of broken light to creep through and guide Todd as he prowled the large office building.   
He found a small room, and decided to hide inside. Booting the door closed behind him,  
he carried the unconscious girl behind a desk and laid her on the floor. He sat down  
beside her and listened for any sound of his attackers. Too quiet. Either they didn't  
follow him, or they were covering their tracks well.  
  
He unconsciously moved into a jumbled mess of long satiny strands and turned to see  
what had drifted over his hand. It was her hair. A platinum mane though covered in dirt,  
still glimmered more lustrous than gold in the moonlight. Her face was ravishing,  
shapely cheekbones highlighted her deep eyes and her large lips were open, allowing her  
breath to escape and giving Todd a glimpse of her fangs. The large cut on her forehead  
was still bleeding. He tore off a part of his shirt and placed it against her wound,  
intending to stop the flow of blood. Yet as soon as he touched it to her skin, her eyes  
flashed open and stared directly into his. "Huh?"  
  
WHAM!!  
  
Before he could react, she swung at his face with her right arm. He was struck in the  
head with a dawn-tinted fist and was knocked back to the floor. The gargoyle sat up and  
recklessly shuffled to the edge of the room, butting up against the wall. She placed a  
trembling hand to her head, feeling the warmth of blood gushing from her wound. Her  
gaze caught the man before her as he recovered from the blow.  
  
"Fuck me gently..." he grumbled as he rubbed the side of his face. He focused himself  
and looked to the girl. His eyes of dark lead with an azure tint crossed paths with her  
own once more. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." he assured the cowering girl before  
him. "My name's Todd." He slowly crawled towards her and stopped when he noticed  
her flinch. "It's all right, I won't hurt you. I promise. That gash on your head needs  
something to stop the flow of blood."  
  
The gargoyle brought her hand down and gazed at the thick, red liquid completely  
covering her palm. She gasped and looked back at Todd.  
  
He had seen that look before, an expression of fear that pained him so. He discovered an  
old shirt on the counter, somehow left behind in an employee's rush to escape this  
dungeon for the weekend. He grabbed it and walked slowly to the girl. His hands were  
in the air, a cautious pace across the gringy linoleum floor. "Here, we can use this to stop  
the bleeding. Please don't be afraid." His voice was low and soft, as he approached her.   
She allowed him to kneel in front of her and he gently pressed the shirt against her head.   
Their eyes met again, and he smiled. She kept staring at him, with a mixed expression of  
fear and what looked like curiosity on her beautiful face. "So, you got a name?"  
  
"N-Name?" she finally answered him in a barely audible voice.  
  
"Yeah. A name. I'm Todd Hawkins, and you are?..."  
  
"...my name's...Annika."  
  
"Annika. Cool name. Pretty."  
  
"Thank you..."  
  
"So, Annika, who the hell are those guys chasing you?" he asked as he tore the long  
sleeve from the blood soaked shirt and wrapped it around her head.  
  
"They're mercenaries. They...they were hired to bring me home...to my father."  
  
"Your father hired those goons? Is that their way of completing the job, blowing you out  
of the sky?" Todd responded, shocked that any parent would hire men like that to find  
their child.  
  
"My father...he's..."  
  
"Right here, my dear." A new voice fell upon her melodic parlance. From behind the  
desk, where they directed their gaze, a merging of three shadows into one. The mercs  
appeared behind the desk, and parted to allow a fourth figure through. Silver tresses with  
a receding hairline and an evil snarl chiseled into weathered features, he loomed over  
them at over six feet tall. His knee-length, black leather trench coat gleamed to the  
blanched light, almost seeming to blend himself with his caliginous surroundings. A  
human man, aged to what looked a little more than sixty, his thin lips crafted into a  
hateful smile, he gasped for a deep breath before continuing, "You've led us on an  
eventful chase, my dear. It took us days to finally catch up with you. Now, it's time to  
go home." His black eyes were devoid of any feeling, and sent shivers down Todd's  
spine.  
  
"That's your dad?" Todd looked back to the gargoyle. She slowly nodded her head, her  
face growing into a scowl, never tearing her gaze from her father.  
  
"Now Annika dear, you gave me such a fright. I just hate it when you run away. You'll  
worry your...mother." His guttural tone, a feeble attempt at humor, seemed as if he was  
dead inside, and yet, his words had obviously hit home as an incandescence of the purest  
blood red erupted from Annika's eyes. A sudden move to raise herself from the ground  
was countered quickly by three high powered rifles, aimed directly at the couple on the  
floor. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. My friends here have very itchy trigger fingers."   
His gaze fell on Todd, as he instinctively moved in front of Annika. "I don't know you,  
but I guess you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, my boy. I am truly sorry."  
  
"Sorry for what, jerk?"  
  
"I can't leave any witnesses. No one must know about my daughter. Well, at least not  
yet."  
  
Todd swallowed hard as he watched the older man back away and the glowing beams of  
three targeting lasers rose to his chest and head. He closed his eyes and shuddered in a  
last breath perhaps taken in this world, "Oh shit..." 


	2. Default Chapter Title

  
  
11 - "The Stray: Part 2"  
Originally Written: February 29th, 2000  
  
Todd closed his eyes and waited for the sounds of gunfire. A trigger being pulled, a  
tumultuous bang, the air being torn into a spiraled tempest as the bullet was blown from  
the chamber.  
  
But instead, a low growl birthed from deep within his companion's chest exploded into a  
howl of fury as Annika rose to her feet. She launched into the air despite her wounded  
form with the swiftness of an eagle, and tore into the two mercenaries closest to her.   
Human reaction dulled in comparison to her flying fists, knocking the two men to the  
ground, their heads hitting cold, hard floor, each beneath a taloned hand. The third man,  
with a dumbfounded look on his face, could barely turn to face the others as Annika  
jumped over the desk and ripped the gun from his hands. Within mere seconds, his limp  
body collapsed by her feet, unconscious. She turned to face her father, as he stood  
motionless, arms behind his back.  
  
Through black eyes he had watched what could only be called a failure by his hired  
force. "I've trained you well. Too well it seems."  
  
Annika's eyes flashed crimson as she gripped the gun tighter. She had never used a  
weapon on anyone before, apparent by her trembling hands as she raised the silver rifle  
towards her father, barely able to keep the weapon aimed straight.  
  
"You can't do it, can you?" the silver haired man smiled. "You can't take a life. I'll  
have to fix that." He noticed her eyes, forcefully trained on his own with never a waver,  
beginning to glaze over. Her head wound had taken it's toll and her knees began to  
buckle as she fought against the darkness of unconsciousness. Her hands involuntarily  
released her weapon and it fell to the floor. Annika followed suit, her body hitting the  
linoleum with a sickening thud. The older man stepped closer to his daughter, craftily  
observing her struggle to stay awake. "That is a nasty wound, my dear. But it'll help  
calm that temper of yours. We don't need you running away again when I take you back  
home..."  
  
"She isn't going anywhere."  
  
His gloating interrupted, the elder man turned quickly only to be met with the barrel of  
one of his own rifles, held firmly in Todd's hands. He simply closed his lips and  
callously stared.  
  
Around the desk Todd slowly came, edging closer to Annika and placing his body  
between her and her father. The older man merely raised his arms and stepped back.   
Todd gently grabbed Annika's arm and helped the wounded gargoyle to her feet. She  
leaned on him for support, clutching to his chest as he guided her through the exit and  
watching all the way the older man standing firm, his smile growing ever bigger. The  
couple hobbled to the door where they had entered, intent on escaping from the building.   
As soon as he reached the dirty concrete of the city's domain, he felt the gargoyle push  
away from him.  
  
"I can take care of myself." She walked to the ruined Jeep and rested against the hood.  
  
"Oh yeah, you can barely stay awake, let alone walk or fly." Todd called out to her as he  
came up behind the young gargess. He placed his hand on a battered wing, causing her to  
react with a jump.  
  
She tore herself away and started to stagger towards the dazzle of the city's lights,  
unaware of her destination yet willing to brave the unknown to get as far away from  
those chasing her as possible.  
  
"Wait!!" he cried out. "There's no way you can get away in your shape. Your 'father' is  
probably regrouping the three stooges back inside. I can help you get away, if you'll just  
trust me..."  
  
"The only person I trust is dead!!" she shot back at him, causing the young man to stop in  
his tracks. Her angered voice trembled on the cool ether, her eyes filled with the pain of  
a torment he could surely never hope to understand.  
  
Todd was forced to watch as she limped away from him, using the wall to steady herself,  
her taloned hand tracing the coarse mortar of the building's exterior. He held himself  
back, running her incensed words through his mind. He wanted so desperately to help  
her, yet it seemed she never needed, or desired his aid.  
  
But before he could do anything, the door behind him swung open and the older man  
stepped out, followed by his goons. In an instant, Todd bolted towards Annika and swept  
the young girl off her feet. She had no time to protest as the human emerged into the  
city's busy streets. His black shoes pounded the pavement in a frenzied pace, and he did  
his best to ignore the stares from bystanders as they caught sight of the woman in his  
arms. His legs and arms throbbed relentlessly as he strived to keep Annika in his arms,  
who surprisingly bore no resistance to his touch, searching for another hiding spot,  
passing darkened store after darkened store, all the while aware of the familiar sound  
coming from the skies above.  
  
Todd frantically looked around him until without any warning, he lurched into traffic.   
Cars came screeching to a halt as he ran in front of them. He reached the other side and  
disappeared under a large awning he had spotted from across the street. He watched  
from the shadows as the goons flew overhead. He had lost them, but only for a short  
time.  
  
An asylum from the chase disguised as a simple dumpster beckoned to him, as Todd  
carried the young girl into another alley. "Man, it's a good thing Manhattan has so many  
friggin' alleys..." He slumped to the ground to catch his breath, allowing Annika to roll  
onto the ground beside him. He delicately traced her makeshift bandage, ensuring it was  
performing it's intended task. It had stopped the bleeding, but she had still lost enough  
blood to weaken her beyond the ability to run. Her breaths were short and she wheezed  
with every painful gulp of air, distinctive symptoms of internal injuries. "You're hurt  
worse than I thought." Todd's observation went unanswered. Upon reaching for her  
hand, she recoiled once again.  
  
"I said...I can take care of myself!!" Annika spat at him as she tried to get back on her  
feet.  
  
Todd was left on the alley floor with an expression of anger, watching her struggle with  
every anguished move. "Hey!!" He grabbed her arm, making sure she wouldn't pull  
away from him yet at the same time fearing her great gargoyle strength would rip it from  
it's socket. "I risked my life to save you!" he yelled, "Christ, I even scoured the entire  
fucking city looking for you since the night you crashed through my window, which, by  
the way is going to be expensive to replace."  
  
Annika looked at him, her scowl softening a bit as his eyes conveyed a comforting  
warmth.  
  
"Ever since I saw you, I couldn't get you out of my head. I was worried sick those  
assholes would find you before me."  
  
"You...I-I guess I owe you my thanks." She glanced away to the ground. "I didn't think  
anyone would risk so much to save a freak like me."  
  
"You are not a freak."  
  
"Yes I am. Look at me. Wings, a tail, four fingers...three toes...I don't even sleep like a  
human..." She clenched her fists as Todd brought her closer to him.  
  
"But...you're not human."  
  
She instantly stepped back, tears forming in her eyes. Her bottom lip quivered as she  
choked on a saddened assertation, "You're just like my father. He told me I was  
abnormal, that no one would ever care for me because I was deformed." Her tears  
flowed, so much so, they almost blocked her sight of the young man. "I thought you  
were different."  
  
"I am, please believe me. I only meant that...you're not human in the literal sense, you're  
something so much more. You're a gargoyle."  
  
"A what? You're telling me I'm a piece of rock that sits on the edge of some building?!"  
she screamed back, becoming agitated at this conversation's new turn.  
  
"No, no, you're an entirely different species. Gargoyles. I've met others like you. In  
fact, I went to them to ask for their help in trying to find you."  
  
Annika stared at Todd for the longest time. She cleared her cheeks of the tears and  
hobbled to the other end of the alley, pondering what he had said. She knew she was  
different from her parents. Her father had always told her so. She was a freak, a  
deformed human, an accident of nature. So he kept her hidden, away from those who he  
claimed would stare at her, berate her, mock her, hurt her. "You've...seen these  
gargoyles?" she broke the silence with a voice so quiet, it was almost drowned out by the  
city's chatter.  
  
"Yes, yes, jeez, I almost crapped my pants." Todd shook his head as he recalled the  
previous week. "There's Goliath, their leader. He's purple, almost eight feet tall and  
looks like he could rip a tank in two. There's Brooklyn, a red one with a beak and a  
pretty hot wife named Sata. And Hudson, the guy who can talk endlessly for hours,  
Lexington, a computer genius and Angela and Broadway, and Othello and Desdemona  
and Shadow...now that guy's weird..." he stopped himself as he caught sight of Annika's  
shocked expression.  
  
She was staring at him with a cocked blond eyebrow. "You're insane...and I'm leaving."   
She started to walk away, intent on finding her way out of there. Todd released a pent-up  
breath and ran his hands through his hair. He moved to catch her, but the alley before  
him dissolved into an eruption of blazing ivory, his senses sieged with the sound of  
engines descending from above.   
  
The mercenaries had found them, and as Todd's eyes finally adjusted to the intensity of  
their spotlights, he had to protect himself from debris of discarded papers and layers of  
dust surrounding his form, stirred up by the powerful motors. They touched down in  
precise places, effectively separating him from Annika. He was trapped, and unable to  
get to the injured gargoyle. His mind raced, searching for a way out. The two larger  
mercs were advancing on Annika and she was backed into a corner, her panic paralyzing  
her from mounting an attack. She looked to him through fear-filled eyes, silently  
pleading for his help.  
  
And help would indeed come, from the parting clouds of Manhattan's darkened  
firmament, where the guardians of the night had finally found their lost gargoyle.  
  
The night air of the flowered month sustained within it's calm winds encircling the isle  
of iron, the wail of the gargoyles. The buildings acted as a tuning fork, rebounding the  
shattering cries in a swirl of a disheartening chord. Goliath led the charge, with  
Desdemona and Shadow behind him. On wings of leather, they swooped in and each  
caught a merc in their taloned hands, carrying them out past the gaping couple and into  
the street beyond. On Goliath's signal, they released their quarry at the defined moment,  
sending them tumbling to the pavement below.  
  
Annika was left near the edge of the alley, locked in a stare as she gazed at the new  
arrivals. Wing, tail, claw and talon, they were different than anything she had ever seen  
before, apart from her own reflection in the mirror.  
  
The mercs had found themselves now at the mercy of the clan. Perhaps outmuscled and  
outclassed, yet the lure of their paycheque, and their reputation in the criminal  
underworld demanded efficient results. It came down to human vs. gargoyle as the  
mercenaries went toe to toe with the guardians. Their advanced weaponry and armor  
afforded the goons a slight advantage against the gargoyles, and a blur of wing and  
weapon flashed as the street fight of the century almost tore the pavement from below.   
Traffic came to a standstill, with the onlookers watching with a horrific fascination, the  
mythic creatures of their city come to life.  
  
"Oh man, this is better than a Tyson fight!" Todd said, as a hand came down on Annika's  
shoulder. She didn't turn, her concentration rooted on the battle before her eyes, yet the  
soft embrace of her warm hand glided across his. He smiled.  
  
Mesmerized by the clash, the young couple would never notice movement behind them  
until it was too late. Annika was forcefully pulled back, and before Todd could reach for  
her, a massive leather-coated arm constricted upon her throat. "Hello, my dear."  
  
Her father had returned to claim his property, and Todd was forced to contend with the  
image of Annika gasping through damaged lungs as the barrel of a gun pressed to her  
temple. Without any light to illuminate their path, the darkness concealed the couple's  
dilemma to the clan.  
  
A face hardened through age and misery creased as the tough leather of the elder man's  
expression twisted into a derisive grin. "Now my young friend, turn around and walk  
away and you won't get hurt." he threatened through gritted teeth.  
  
"You've put a lot of effort in finding her and trying to bring her home," Todd challenged  
the older man, with the futile hope he was bluffing, "you won't do anything to her, she's  
too valuable to you."  
  
"Don't be too sure." The older man cocked the gun and pressed it tighter against  
Annika's head. "I went to a lot of trouble to train my daughter to be the perfect hired  
mercenary. Her great strength and ability to fly would have made her one of the best  
killers in the world. For forty years I raised her, ever since she hatched from that egg,  
and I'll be damned if I let anyone else have her."  
  
"Egg?" Annika whispered through her constricted throat.  
  
"Yes, my dear. You weren't born from your mother. We found your egg long ago and  
raised you as our daughter."  
  
"...but...you said..."  
  
"I only told you those things to keep you under my protective umbrella, as it were. The  
last thing I needed was my daughter trying to explore her heritage and getting out where I  
couldn't...control her." He smiled a vindictive smile as he felt the young gargess shake in  
his arms.  
  
Annika closed her eyes, and wept through closed lips, as what had existed of her  
tormented life came shattering down.  
  
"You son of a bitch!!" Todd exploded. "You lied to her and treated her like shit her  
entire life." His anger at this man's bottomless depravity reached the boiling point, he  
would have jumped the man and torn his head from his neck if he wasn't holding Annika  
hostage. "You told her she was a deformed human! You told her she was a freak, and  
she wouldn't be accepted in normal society!! You fucking basta..." Before he could  
finish, the gun which first threatened Annika was now pointed at him.  
  
"Ah ah ah, I wouldn't try anything if I were you, my young friend." He thinned his eyes,  
yet the coal black of death never faded. "You have caused me a lot of trouble the last  
couple of nights. You and your damn 'friends' almost cost me my prize. I can't allow  
you to take her away from me again." The older man pulled the trigger back as he  
prepared to fire. "Say hello to my wife for me, and tell her that I'll take care of our little  
Annika."  
  
"rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGHHH!!!!!" A raged shriek grew in intensity as  
Annika screeched with all the power of her impaired lungs could bring forth. The alley  
lit up in a wash of blood, her eyes rupturing with a gargoyle's wrath. She grabbed her  
father's arm and twisted around, turning to face him. Her hand tightened on his forearm,  
and through the thick leather, fragile bones fractured under the intense pressure and his  
grip on the gun loosened. Using the last reserves of her strength, she drove her clenched  
fist into his gut and grabbed what flesh lay upon his neck, holding him close enough to  
feel her fervent breath. "NEVER, EVER SPEAK OF MY MOTHER AGAIN!!!" she  
screamed bloody murder. "SHE WAS THE MOST CARING AND LOVING PERSON  
ON THIS PLANET!!! IF YOU EVER TRY TO HURT ME OR ANY OF  
MY...FRIENDS AGAIN," she brought the human's face right to her own, and stared into  
the soulless depths of his dark eyes, "I WILL KILL YOU!!!" She threw him against his  
machine and watched as he grappled to mount his craft, favoring his right arm.  
  
"It seems the night is lost, my dear." he grimaced, as he turned to catch sight of his hired  
goons forming a pile of human trash in the street, surrounded by the winged creatures  
who had turned the tide of the fight. He would have to cancel the cheques, for the  
mercenaries were not worth the money they had asked for. "I'll have to leave now...but I  
will be back." His machine lifted from the ground, launching him into the cool airways  
of the night. Todd came to Annika's side only to hear his dying words lost to the ferocity  
of his engine's wake. "Therias Ebon Crowe doesn't give up so easily!! You hear me, I'll  
be back for you when you least expect it!!" A declaration of his remorseless soul, echoed  
in Annika's ears, as she kept her focus on her father as he became just another flicker in  
the expanse of space.  
  
Todd released the breath he had been holding and looked to Annika. She flashed him a  
sight of her gorgeous blue eyes before she collapsed into his arms and sank to her knees,  
bringing Todd with her. Her breathing became erratic and her relentless coughing  
brought up a spray of blood.  
  
"Annika!!" Todd screamed her name as he held the young gargess in his arms, with the  
clan closing around them. He looked to Goliath with wide eyes. "She fell from the sky  
onto my car! She's hurt, she may have internal injuries! You have to do something!!"  
  
"The dawn is not far off. She will heal with the sun." Goliath's deep baritone assured the  
human as he gently took her from Todd's embrace and scooped her into his lavender  
arms. "We'll take her to the castle." With one hand, he effortlessly scaled the fire  
escape and reached the roof. His grip tightened to his fragile passenger as he took to  
wing, heading for the Eyrie.  
  
Todd held tight to Shadow's back, his fear of the towering heights instantly vanishing, as  
he kept his gaze on the limp body cradled in Goliath's arms. Shadow embraced the wind  
with a grace of a ballet dancer, weaving within it's sinuous clasp. Yet even a turbulent  
jostle would not disturb the young man on his back, hoping for his life, the woman who  
so captured his fascination, and perhaps his heart, would survive the night.  
  
****************************************  
  
Goliath gently placed Annika on the stone surface of his tower, high above Castle  
Wyvern. He straightened up and backed off to allow Todd access to her crumpled form.  
  
Leaning over, he found his hands gliding down her forehead spurs, and eventually  
running the length of her face. He outlined her features with a subtle contact, tracing  
what had been sealed in his memories, what had drawn him to risk his life for someone  
who he had never known.  
  
She opened her eyes, using what strength remained to form a quiet whisper,  
"I'm...sorry...for not believing you..."  
  
"Shhh...it's okay. You'll be okay. I'm here with you, I won't leave you." he answered  
back, brushing her knuckles to his lips, her scent smoothing itself upon his senses.  
  
Annika managed a slight smile before she fell unconscious, and turned her head away  
from Todd's hands.  
  
"Dawn is approaching," Goliath spoke furtively to the clan, who had gathered around the  
fallen girl, "get to your perches." They promptly responded to their leader's wish to  
grant the couple their privacy. Quietly, they slipped from the main tower and fell into  
place on their respective steads, preparing for the end of night's sovereignty. Goliath  
took to his own perch, and a shadow loomed over the tower in the wash of the morning  
sun creeping over the horizon. Yet this day, he would not face the city as he had for so  
many centuries. His massive wings spread to their utmost, he held himself over the  
couple in a protective vigil, noticing his wife kneeling beside Todd.  
  
Elisa placed her hand on the young man's shoulder, a signal to him that he must let her  
go. The sun was rising. He gently released Annika onto the cold cobblestone, just as her  
rose skin turned to a dusty gray in the overflow of the sun's brilliance. He sighed and  
foundered against the crook of the battlement, aspiring towards a day without adversity.  
  
Elisa inspected Annika's sleeping statue, able to get a closer look for what this young  
man had combed the urban hollows looking for. His drawings and half-finished sketches  
were so alike, they had captured her beauty in amazing detail. "She'll be okay," she  
whispered. "I've seen worse injuries healed by their stone state." She turned back to the  
young man in time to capture his yawn. "You should get some sleep. There's plenty of  
bedrooms in the castle to choose from."  
  
"I'm not leaving her." Todd responded defiantly, staring at the statue laying before him.  
  
Elisa had known that tone particularly well, especially escaping from her own lips more  
than once in the past. "All right." she whispered, and quietly slipped from the turret,  
intent on getting some sleep of her own.  
  
Todd was left alone, sitting beside the stone form of the gargoyle who had shattered the  
peaceful, normal life he once led. 'Is she worth it?' he thought to himself. 'Hell yeah.'   
Todd closed his eyes and soon fell asleep on Goliath's turret.  
  
****************************************  
  
The vestiges of the dying light of dusk receded across the stones of Wyvern, bringing  
forth from it's passing, an inception of cryptic shadows created from the castle's  
foreboding columns. Elisa climbed the narrow passageway perhaps traveled a thousand  
times, where the carved steps of granite led her to the home of her heart, to the one  
person she loved more than anyone or anything, the giant lavender gargoyle known  
simply as Goliath.  
  
Upon reaching the top, she emerged into where day met night in a fusion of muted colors  
splashed across the sky, and was surprised to find Todd still asleep, slumped over on the  
stone and snoring loudly. She crept slowly towards her husband, yet cautious to keep her  
distance, ever mindful of the shards of stone torn from their bodies, revealing the forms  
within. They roared to the sky, as the last remnants of their sleep drifted away.  
  
Todd rolled over and barely stirred, even their tremendous cries didn't awaken the young  
man and he slept on, oblivious to a slender form encroaching upon his position. It wasn't  
until he felt a familiar hand stroking his face that he opened his eyes and found himself  
staring into an ocean of blue.  
  
Annika's eyes were directed at his as she leaned over him, smiling. "Good evening."  
  
"Jesus, you're awake." Todd scrambled to his feet, a drowsy haze once draped over him  
effectively disappearing. "Are you okay? Did your wounds heal?! Are you okay?!!"  
  
"It seems so." she answered, guiding a hand across her forehead where just last night, a  
massive gash marked her wondrous beauty. "I feel great, and I owe it all to you." She  
grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
  
"Yeah, well..." Todd felt himself blush, and an awkward silence fell over the usually  
boisterous young man. They stood motionless, feeling the wind flow around them as  
they studied each other's eyes, before being startled by the others crashing the romantic  
mood.  
  
The clan had gathered to check in on the mystery girl they had searched for, and finally  
brought to them last night. Annika was surrounded as they inquired about her health, and  
where she had come from. Todd stood beside her, hearing the barrage of questions and  
watching the pink gargoyle try to answer as many as she could.  
  
But the clan was interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat coming from Goliath's  
direction. "Come, let's leave our new friends to themselves. They most likely...have a  
lot to talk about." Goliath motioned his family to the stairs and slowly the gargoyles  
disappeared from sight.  
  
Until the last of the clan cleared from the tower, did Annika finally turn her gaze back to  
the young man, forming a bewildered half-smile. "I guess you were right, they're just  
like me."  
  
"You don't have to be alone anymore. They'll take care of you. I'll take care of you."   
Todd's expression hardened a little, wondering if he shouldn't have added that last line.  
  
"I've only trusted one person in my entire life..."  
  
"Your mother." Todd finished for her.  
  
"She was always there for me. She never treated me like I was different. She was the  
most beautiful woman I had ever seen, loving, honest, caring..." Annika's eyes welled  
with tears. She felt Todd's finger catch a lone tear as it skimmed down her cheek.  
  
"Your mother died, didn't she?"  
  
"Six months ago. That was when I first escaped. Without my mother there, my father  
became even more abusive to me."  
  
"I'm so sorry. But...why did your mother stay with that guy? He's a complete asshole."  
  
"She stayed to protect me, even through the beatings. My mother purposely placed  
herself in his path to prevent me from getting hurt even more. She took the verbal abuse  
and the slaps and the punches and everything else he threw at her, never letting him crush  
what was left of her spirit. When my father kept me locked inside, she was there to give  
me a proper education. She hoped one day I would escape, so she prepared me, she  
wanted me to have an advantage if I ever got out." Annika's eyes darted down to Todd's  
chest.  
  
He noticed her shiver and desperately fought the urge to wrap his arms around her. "But  
you did get out." A handsome face distorted into a mock frown, as Todd crossed his  
arms and cocked his head to the side. "Right through my window." he chuffed,  
attempting to lighten Annika's mood.  
  
She flicked her large eyes upwards and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well, yours was  
the only one with a light on." she replied, the simple joke failing to retain a smile. Her  
gaze was directed back to the city. She slowly crept to the edge of the tower and leaned  
against the battlement. Her long blond hair was swept over her shoulders in the subtle  
movements of the current's broken splinters, forced apart by the cornice cleft. A  
momentary glance to the skyscrapers below was broken when she heard movement  
behind her.  
  
Todd brought his head level with hers and imitated her own stance, gaining a fanged grin  
in response. "We have a lot in common than you realize, you know." he spoke softly as  
he centered his attention on a particular building near the Eyrie. "I lost my parents when  
I was only about three years old. I lived in a children's home until I was old enough to  
get a decent job. I too, know the pain of losing those close to you." He tended towards  
her, and she welcomed his affectionate gaze. "But you had years with your mother. You  
had the chance to learn from her, live with her, spend time with her...you are luckier than  
most out there who never had the love of any parent."  
  
"I guess so, but it still hurts."  
  
"It will always hurt. I don't think that kind of pain ever goes away. It's meant to stay  
with you. It rolls itself into a little ball and sticks in your gut, but we can use it to help  
guide ourselves throughout our lives. It's what makes us, uhm... 'human'."  
  
"Deep. By the way, you do notice the wings right?"  
  
"I was talking in the figurative sense...anyway..." Todd instantly caught her hand and  
practically pulled her from the ledge. "Enough of this whole pain and sorrow stuff, you  
should be happy. You're free. Free to live your life the way you want to. I bet you've  
never experienced the nightlife in New York."  
  
"Nightlife?"  
  
"Yeah, dance clubs, bars, concerts, movies...I should take you to the Gold theater. They  
have one of the biggest screens and digital stereo sound and...oh man, I went to see Star  
Wars there...Awesome!! Of course, we'll have to hide those wings of yours, and that tail  
shouldn't be hard to...disguise..." He stopped short, and noticed Annika staring at him  
again. "What?! Anyway, you now have the freedom to do whatever you want. What do  
you want to do first?"  
  
"Well..." Annika looked down at her tattered apparel. "I think I need some new  
clothes." She glanced back at Todd, who grew a peculiar smile as he stroked his goatee.  
  
"Yeah, that's for sure. If you'll allow me, I think I'll draw up some designs for your new  
threads. I could make an unbelievable set of togs for you that would accentuate  
your...ahem," his hands mimicked the shape of an hourglass, "curves."  
  
Annika just glared at him.  
  
Moving towards the stairs, he called to Annika to join him and they both descended the  
narrow steps. "By the way, just how old are you?"  
  
"Forty."  
  
Todd sputtered and almost tripped on the last step. "You're forty?!! But you look  
younger than me!!"  
  
"Forty...in gargoyle years. I turn to stone in daylight, remember? So I age at twice the  
length of humans."  
  
"So, you're actually twenty? Perfect, only a year younger than me." Todd smirked.  
  
"Why is that perfect?" She grabbed his arm and allowed him to escort her into the  
castle's interior.  
  
"Oh...no reason."  
  
****************************************  
  
A Staedler HB artist pencil traced upon an ivory drawing pad as Todd feverishly worked  
throughout the night, allowing Annika the chance to learn the history of the clan. Beside  
her he placed himself, and only when finished a design would he consent to her feedback.   
Before the day's end, Annika had chosen her favorite. Fortunately, it was Todd's favorite  
as well.  
  
As the pink gargess took her place on the castle's edge, Fox called upon her personal  
tailor to create from a simple sketch, Annika's new garb. Within hours, the finished  
product was presented just as day came to an end.  
  
Todd awaited impatiently while slumped in a massive chair, unaware of his foot tapping  
upon the carpeting of a random castle bedroom as the others talked amongst themselves,  
waiting to see what the human artist had come up with. Todd noticed the room grow  
silent as he looked up only to witness the emergence of Annika from behind a dressing  
screen, and with an apprehensive gait, she positioned herself in the middle of the room.   
He was instantly on his feet, mouth dropped open and his gray eyes focused on the sight  
before him. Even his highest expectations were all at once shattered, and the mere sight  
of his design brought to life on the young gargoyle's frame caused the hairs on his neck  
to stand on end.  
  
Annika placed her hands on her hips and looked expectantly at the young man staring at  
her. The gargoyle turned and modeled her new clothes for him, giving him a better view  
of his creation. A tight white short-sleeved shirt, composed of what seemed like a  
spandex material, stretched over her ample torso and shoulders, and ended in the middle  
of her stomach. She sported a black belt with gold clasps, holding a white square  
loincloth which hung to about six inches above her knees. An identical piece draped in  
back, split to accommodate her tail. The snow-white tunic almost seemed to bear forth a  
glow against her rose colored skin. A sheer platinum gloss of gold bracelets adorned her  
forearms and shins, and a gold band with the same cryptic design ornamented her neck.   
Her long blond tress was tied back in twin tails, leaving only a section of her golden  
locks hanging on either side of her face. She had used purple eyeliner and a deep red  
lipstick on her large supple lips.  
  
"Well, what do you think?" Annika asked the clan, but intentionally directing the  
question towards Todd.  
  
The human stood there, mouth still open. "Huh?! What? Oh, well the words...'GOD  
DAMN!!!' come to mind." Todd neared her stance and studied her closer. "Man, I'm  
good."  
  
"I take it I meet with your approval." Annika leaned into an enticing pose as Todd  
happily nodded his consent.  
  
"Very nice." Brooklyn added as he smiled towards the pink gargoyle, garnering a sigh of  
resignation from Sata.  
  
"Amazing..." Lexington sighed under his breath, his eyes caressing every curve of the  
gargess' body. "She's perfect...absolutely perfect..."  
  
"So Annika," Goliath's deep voice broke through, startling Todd from his admiration,  
"what have you decided to do now? Our offer still stands, you may join our clan."  
  
"I would like that, but..." she finished mid-sentence, and turned to catch what stars lay  
beyond the window's frame. "My father is still after me. He will hurt anyone who tries  
to stop him from getting to me. I'm a danger to you and your clan, Goliath. I can't place  
your lives in jeopardy."  
  
"There are so few of our kind. And you deserve the chance to live and grow as your own  
person, as much as any of us. We would be honored if you would join us here, where we  
can help you learn about the world which was kept from you so long."  
  
"What if he finds out where I live?" Annika whirled around to face the giant leader.   
"He'll come after me..."  
  
"If he dares invade our home," Othello stepped forward and shook his fist to the air, "he  
will find fifteen angry gargoyles waiting for him."  
  
"My brother speaks the truth, Annika. We are a family, we do not abandon those  
forsaken by a vile twist of fate. We will protect you, my friend, to our dying breath."  
Goliath's firm tone carried on the still air of the spacious bedroom.  
  
His finality encouraged the pink gargoyle as she looked at all gathered before her.   
Humans and gargoyles alike, willing to risk their safety to help her, not unlike a caring  
woman who raised a small gargoyle hatchling it's entire life. "Thank you, all of you."  
  
****************************************  
  
The stroke of midnight long past, with the universe baring it's celestial soul upon the  
highest towers of Wyvern. The moon had climbed to it's highest point in the sky, casting  
what no manufactured light could attempt to match, and under the gleam of millions of  
stars, the battlements radiated a ghostly sapphire, leading a solitary figure to Goliath's  
tower.  
  
Annika looked to the city through new eyes. Freedom. A word, a feeling, a very state of  
being that had been denied to her for almost forty long years. She had found what  
perchance she had been looking for ever since her mother passed away, as a new family  
had welcomed her into their fold. New friends and a new home, and possibly, a new  
relationship. A first for her. A voyage into unknown territory. Her trust was not readily  
given to just anyone, and when wings of a darkened dawn-tint brushed past her shoulders,  
she was constantly reminded of just what she was, and just how different they were from  
each other.  
  
"Man, even the bathrooms are big in this place!"  
  
Annika jumped slightly as a sarcastic quip erupted behind her, cutting through what had  
been a mostly peaceful night. She quickly turned to discover the source of the familiar  
sound, and found exactly who she had expected.  
  
"That toilet is freakin' huge!" Todd joked. "I guess everything's been enlarged for the  
gargs."  
  
Annika rolled her eyes, becoming used to his wry sense of humor. "Well, Goliath is  
almost eight tall." As she watched him come near, with the moonlight casting on his  
handsome features, she was drawn deeper into his eyes, radiating the same tenderness she  
took comfort in ever since he had saved her life two nights ago.  
  
"Yeah. Jeez, he's big. I still wonder at the fact that he and Elisa..." Todd grinned, a  
rather vivid mental picture forming in the depths of his powerful imagination. "Whoa."  
  
"I still can't believe they are going to have a baby. They are the ultimate proof that  
humans and gargoyles can live peacefully together." she whispered, noticing his hand  
brushing up against hers, a light frosted peach of human complexion opposing her own  
cerise coloring, all the while never tearing his gaze from her large, blue eyes. An ocean  
of passion and elegance, reflecting his image back to him.  
  
"So, any thoughts on what to do with your newly found independence?" Todd asked,  
trying to resist being absorbed by her magnificence.  
  
"Actually, there is something I want to do. But I need your help, and maybe Mr.  
Xanatos'."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
****************************************  
  
Beyond a boundary formed of rows of tall evergreen trees, the disquiet of the city faded  
from this tranquil place. Rolling plains of dark emerald grass extended far from sight,  
laying what seemed a living carpet over the ancient Earth. Hundred upon hundreds of  
dark granite markers stood silently, each one a monument to a life taken from our  
existence. Two shadowy figures crept quietly through the stones, as if not to disturb the  
resting spirits. The moonlight carved a path towards their destination as Todd and  
Annika walked softly on the concrete walkway, her arm around his. They scanned the  
markers, looking for a particular name, until Todd felt his gargoyle companion lurch to a  
stop.  
  
"I've found her." Annika whispered. She withdrew her arm and walked to a solitary  
marker a couple meters away. Todd watched from afar as she silently moved towards the  
small gravestone. Annika kneeled in front, and crossed the simple carving on the face  
with a stroke of her hand. "Jennifer Smith." Annika had found her mother.  
  
An hour before, she had come to David Xanatos to ask for his help in locating the burial  
place of her adoptive mother. With the assistance of Owen Burnett, she was given the  
name of a cemetery that was surprisingly close to the Eyrie. She looked back at Todd as  
he gently handed her a long box. Opening the slender, white package, she withdrew a  
bouquet of flowers, hand-picked by Angela from the castle courtyard's massive garden,  
and placed the bundle of roses and carnations on the soft meadow grass.  
  
Grasping her hands to her chest, she closed her eyes, intent on keeping herself from  
crying. A futile attempt as tears streamed down her face. Her lips trembled and her  
breathing muffled the sobs held deep within her chest.  
  
"Let it out." a voice whispered behind her as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her  
shoulders. "Don't hold it in, Annika."  
  
The pink gargoyle wailed her anguish to the night sky and wet the ground before her with  
endless amounts of tears. "I miss her so much, I still can't believe she's gone." Annika  
leaned back into Todd's chest as his head poked between her large wings, resting on her  
shoulder.  
  
"She's never gone. She's always with you, wherever you go, wherever you are. Never  
forget that."  
  
Annika turned in his embrace to face him and somehow managed a slight smile through  
her tears. "How did you ever become so smart?"  
  
"I watch a lot of T.V." He smiled back at her. He helped her up and she took one last  
look at the stone, before tearing her gaze away. She held fast to his arm and the couple  
headed for the iron gates at the entrance of the cemetery, back to the Xanatos limousine,  
a gift of transportation from Fox, as Todd's Jeep was damaged beyond the ability to drive  
until repaired. Owen, patiently waiting for them near the side, opened the back door for  
the pair and they made themselves comfortable in the vast back seat.  
  
Annika propped herself against the door, staring out the tinted window and watching the  
buildings blaze past in a swirl of lights. A light rain had started to fall, streaking down  
the glass in front of her and pooling upon the car's sleek metallic finish before washing  
away.  
  
Todd was busy pouring himself a glass of Jolt cola he had brought with him. "You want  
something to drink? This car has everything." he remarked as he took a sip from the  
crystal glass.  
  
"No thanks." she answered softly.  
  
Todd frowned and moved closer to her. "C'mon, you can't feel like crap all your life.   
I'll tell you what, anything you want, we'll do."  
  
This caught Annika's attention as she turned to face him. An unusual smile spread on  
her lips. "Anything?" Her hands cupped his face and she pulled him closer. She planted  
her lips on his and closed her eyes. Todd dropped his drink and succumbed to her soft  
kiss. Long, deep, and thoroughly enjoying, she reluctantly released the human and settled  
back into the seat, straightening her tunic and loincloth.  
  
Todd almost slipped from the velvet covering, and recovered just in time to catch  
himself. He dragged himself back to a seating position and finally allowed himself to  
breathe. "God damn..."  
  
"I must confess, I've been wanting to do that for a long time." Annika crossed her legs  
and turned her head slightly, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "So, you were  
telling me about the nightlife in New York?"  
  
Todd couldn't do anything but smile as the limo sped off into the night. 


End file.
